" The grey sky gleams and the grey seas glimmer, 



Pale and sweet as a dream's delight, 

 As a dream's where darkness and light seem dimmer, 



Touched by dawn or subdued by night. 

 The dark wind, stern and sublime and sad, 

 Swings the rollers to westward, clad 

 With lustrous shadow that lures the swimmer, 



Lures and lulls him with dreams of light. 



" Light, and sleep, and delight, and wonder, 

 Change, and rest, and a charm of cloud, 



Fill the world of the skies whereunder 

 Heaves and quivers and pants aloud 



All the world of the waters, hoary 



Now, but clothed with its own live glory, 



That mates the lightning and mocks the thunder 

 With light more living and word more proud. 



" A dream, and more than a dream, and dimmer 

 At once and brighter than dreams that flee, 



The moment's joy of the seaward swimmer 

 Abides, remembered as truth may be. 



Not all the joy and not all the glory 



Must fade as leaves when the woods wax hoary ; 



For there the downs and the sea-banks glimmer, 

 And here to south of them swells the sea." 



What swimmer too, who loves this poet, but 

 will recall the marvellous sea -shine line in 

 ' Thalassius ' : 



" Dense water-walls and clear dusk waterways . . . 

 The deep divine dark day shine of the sea " 



It is this exquisite miracle of transparency 

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